


Are You Really in the Ground?

by FreezingFics



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Death, It's after Goro's death, M/M, Valentine's Day, Yes the title is a reference to Dead Mom, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreezingFics/pseuds/FreezingFics
Summary: Akira gathered a bouquet of roses he had bought the previous day, and headed downstairs towards the door.Sojiro was quick to notice him, just about to close up shop. He looked down to see the flowers, raising a brow, “You have plans you didn’t tell me about?”“Kind of,” Akira answered shortly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	Are You Really in the Ground?

Valentines day was always a funny holiday for Akira. On one hand, he knew it was mostly a holiday that sells cards and chocolates, but on the other, it was an excuse to be kind to his friends and let them know how much he cared about them. Chocolates had already been given to all of the ex-thieves, all to their liking, giving him small treats in exchange. By the end of the day, he had amassed a small pile of heart shaped boxes and lollipops. 

But when the sun began to fall, Akira gathered a bouquet of roses he had bought the previous day, and headed downstairs towards the door.

Sojiro was quick to notice him, just about to close up shop. He looked down to see the flowers, raising a brow, “You have plans you didn’t tell me about?”

“Kind of,” Akira answered shortly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Hours?” Sojiro tried to press, but it was too late. The boy was already out the door, the bell jingling behind him. Watching him go out into the street, he sighed and shook his head, “That kid always has some kind of secret, doesn’t he?”

When out the door, Akira pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened up his map. What was the name of it? It was in his recents, he was sure. A quick tap, and he was navigated to his destination. Aoyama cemetery, only thirty minutes away. Well, it gives him more time to do what he needs to.

A train station and small walk later, Akira was finally at the cemetery, the sun set painting the sky a gradient of purples and oranges. Thankfully, he knew where to go, having gone before just to find who he was looking for. Holding the roses close, he slowly walked the paths through the graves, taking his time as to try to be respectful of the others resting here. After all, his love wasn’t the only one that mattered here. Briefly, he wondered if Haru’s father was buried here as well. 

The thought faded when he arrived at the gravestone he was looking for. The name engraved on it sent pain to his heart, but he pushed it aside for just a moment. He had to talk, after all. 

Akira smiled, pulling the roses out of the plastic they were wrapped in, careful of the thorns. He laid them down on the grave, keeping the plastic beside him to pick up later. For now, he’d sit down a bit away from the gravestone, as if to not sit on the body under it. 

With a voice that hid all of his pain, he greeted the stone, “Happy Valentines, Goro~ I know roses are a bit cheesy, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get chocolates, but I don’t want animals getting into them.” He laughed, twirling a lock of hair with a finger. What all to say to him? “Sorry I couldn’t visit sooner. Things have been really hectic. When they found you, I was already in jail, and heard the news through there. I would have come if I could before, but turns out you miss a lot of school work behind bars.” Akira laughed at himself a bit, as if he found his own tight schedule funny.

He looked around the cemetery for a moment, not even bugs filling the cold air. Just the distant sound of Tokyo, and his own voice. The smile he had faded, just a bit, looking back at the stone. He read the engraving again, maybe for the tenth time: ‘Goro Akechi: 1998 - 2016.’ No message, nothing about him, just a name and date. Is that all he was now? Hardly anyone but people interested in crime and mystery talked about him now

Akira laughed again, quieter this time, “Hah, sorry. I was just kinda lost in thought. This place is really pretty. It’s a nice resting spot.” His eyes drifted to the ground, where Goro supposedly laid. 

Supposedly, no, of course he laid there. They had found the body and everything. When the palace faded and Shido’s heart changed, they had found Goro’s body in an alley near the Diet building. Shot in the heart, dead as soon as the bullet entered his body. The weird thing about it was that he appeared to be dead for a few days before being found, and no gunshots were ever heard near the building.

Of course, that’s what was weird to other people, and what had sparked so many theories and claims. Akira knew damn well why and how it happened. The raven laid a hand on the grass, pressing down into the dirt. Perhaps this would be as close as he could be to him now. 

“...I kept our deal. I changed his heart.” He murmured, pressing down a bit harder. Just thinking back to that room made his heart feel like ice. He could hear Goro’s pained voice, giving his final please. His voice was soft as he echoed it, “‘Change Shido’s heart, in my stead… End his crimes.’ That’s what you told me to do. And during every testimony, every hearing, I thought of you, and I swore to do just that.” 

Finally, the tears started. He had been holding them back ever since he saw the grave, after all. His vision blurred, and they dropped into the dirt. A part of them hoped his love would come to life in the tears, seep through the dirt and to Goro, and revive him. But this wasn’t some fairy tale, of course. He couldn’t dream. And oh, did he dream of Goro. All kinds of different dreams. Him coming back, having never died, or of life before his death was even a thought in his mind. Dreams of his coffee order, burned into his memory. Dreams of his favorite dessert, and his face when Akira surprised him with it on the counter. Dreams of the spot he’d sit in, every day, being taken up by faceless people he would be leaving soon.

“I don’t wanna leave you…” Akira’s voice was a mere whimper, the knowledge that he’d leave behind everything he had made so soon. Soon, he’d be back home, in a town he could care less about. “I already left you for nothing once, I can’t do it again…”

His body fell forward, collapsing from the weight of his grief as he cried into the cold soil. He can’t remember the last time he had cried like this before. It was loud, messy, like a total breakdown of everything he had. He felt messy, cold and hot, heavy. He didn’t even have the comfort of Morgana, who might try and weave his furry body through his limbs to be held and pet, knowing his soft fur to be calming in times like this. But no, he was alone. Just Akira and the cold dirt, and the lifeless body of the one he loved buried six feet under. 

With what little voice he had, the raven muttered, “I love you, Goro… So much… I’m so sorry I failed you…”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentines day everyone! I noticed a lack of Akira visiting Goro's grave across like, the entire ship community. Don't y'all understand the beauty of it? It's so painful and so good, I love it to bits. I understand it's hard to write dialog due to one of the characters being... literally dead, but still. I want that angst juice sometimes. This is pretty short by my standards, but like, I kinda wrote it in like, less than an hour. I had the idea and just had to get it out. 
> 
> If you guys like this, lemme know if I should make a chapter two in a Ghost!Goro perspective? I have an idea for it, but won't go for it without the want and feedback for it. Thanks for reading!


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